My puppy is currently nine weeks old. I am looking for someone to finish my GWP around April 2005. He will be around 7 months old at that time and would like to turn him over to an expert. Any recommendation would be great. My GWP will be used for both Ducks and Quails. I've started him however, I do not have any other dogs for him to run with._________________Colby
Cary, North Carolina

Thank you, So finishing was the wrong word. I am going to be out of state for three weeks during April. And I wanted to leave my GWP with a dog trainer not just a dog kennel. I understand that training a hunting day life long process. I need to make arrangement now to make sure those three weeks that I'm going to be gone, that my GWP will conitue with the learning process.

Posted: 01/04/05, 8:37 pm Post subject: So you agree that I can get some meaningful training.

Omar, so you agree that I can get some meaningful training. Why would you say that meaning training could occur and then with the same breath tell me not to do it?

I would like some comments from a dog trainers. What I am expecting is find a place that my GWP will be able to be a GWP for three weeks. Not just a everyday kennel dog. Surely, there is a trainer that has some usefull comments. And not double talk.

If it means that my GWP will receive one day of extra meaningful training, then that is the route that I'm going to take. It would be nice to hear from other trainers/hunters that uses there real names.

[quote="ColbyHammonds"]My puppy is currently nine weeks old. I am looking for someone to [b]finish [/b]my GWP around April 2005. He will be around 7 months old at that time and would like to turn him over to an expert. Any recommendation would be great. My GWP will be used for both Ducks and Quails. I've started him however, I do not have any other dogs for him to run with.[/quote]

Colby, I would like to try to answer your question. If you are looking for a trainer to start your pups training at 9 or so weeks, I don't feel you will be successful in your search. Most trainers do not want to baby sit someones dog. That is why most dogs are sent for training after they reach 6 months to a year.
Second, to "finish" a pup at 7 months would really be pushing it.

I am a firm believer however in starting a pup at 8 weeks. During the period in a pups life from 8 weeks to 6 months they are capable of learning more then one would expect and by starting them young only helps to focus them in a positive direction.. The secret to this is in keeping the sessions short and fun for the pup and to always make sure the pup succeeds at the task you are asking them to do. In reality, the pup does'nt even realize it is being trained and by the time they are 6 or so months old can be coming when called, land retrieving, water retrieving, pointing, shot over and ready for hunting.( Non of this can be accomplished in a 3 week peroid). The plus of this is they are happy at what they are learning and have not been allowed to pick up bad habits that trainers must spend much time to correct when they get a dog in for training that has been allowed to, just be a pup, as some put it.
To expect a young pup to learn even more then what I have stated, such as to "finish" them by 7 months, I feel would be pushing the pup over the limit. That is assuming by "finish" you mean steady to wing and shot.

Your pup should be around 3 months old when you return. Starting then is not a set back for you. I would try to find a relative or friend to help you out for that three week period rather then sending your pup to a boarding kennel. I really don't think you will find a trainer that would take your pup at this young age. JMO
Janet_________________Hunting, Its what were all about!

Thank you for the advice. It make sense about "bady sitting". I can understand that an experience trainer would not want to take the time to bady sit my GWP for just 3 weeks.
I do have a friend that has two labs that I will be able to leave my GWP with. At least he will get some pond (water) time.
This was the simple friendly responses/comments that I was hoping to receive from the web site._________________Colby
Cary, North Carolina

I have taken several youngsters in to give them a start for their owners. I'm not actually training them per se, but rather exposing them to birds, fields, other dogs. 3 weeks isn't a lot of time to get too much done, but heck, if your gonna spend the money, I agree, spend it on someone who will do something with the dog.

Unfortunately, I'm a bit far from you for that.

But who is your breeder? Would they be willing and able to take the puppy for the 3 weeks? Maybe you could contact White Tail Kennels in SC... they might be able to shoot you in the right direction. They can be found in the Breeders Listing on the GWPCA home page.

Colby - where we live we didn't have access to LOTS of birds nor places to work our pup (along with the fact that he is our first GWP so we had never trained a pointer before!) so at 6 months we sent him of to a great trainer for 2 weeks.

Our goal with doing this was two-fold - it taught him that it was OK to be away from mom and dad and that we would come back to get him and in that two week period he had learned enough about his pointing job that we could hunt over him.

We never expected perfection but wanted him to have a basic understanding is all at that age. Now that he has these down we can continue to work with him. But the advantage was that he got to hunt his first fall and for him it was a blast - he loves it!

If I understand what you are asking, you merely need to place him for a three week period and rather than just sitting in a kennel he might as well get a little training too. I think that is great but you have to be very careful of the trainer you have working with him especially since he is so young - they are just babies after all and harsh training could ruin him. The guy we had working with Gunner was very much a positive trainer and never pushed the little guys much - kept it as much fun as he could. Plus he gave him LOTS of exposure to LOTS of birds.

Our result not only has made Gunner a good hunting dog but at 1 year he passed his NAVHDA NA test with a perfect score and achieved his JH title. And he did all of this while having fun. That's what it needs to be.

Thirteen years ago I did exactly what you are looking for, except for the finishing. My opinion it is a good idea, providing you check out the trainers kennel facility. My wife and I had a three week vacation planned and a six month old GSP to find a place to board. At the time it was not that much more expensive for her to stay at the pro facility than board her here at home. Plus she was getting bird work, nothing serious just was put on birds twice a day. The only drawback and it was small, was that we had to travel half way across WI. to get her to the trainer, but it was well worth it. I wouldn't give up on boarding her with a pro. In any case it is a good idea to make sure her shots are current and has been given the Parainfluenza Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine.